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Monday, February 10, 2014

Jones The Grocer, Sydney

Modern Australian is one cuisine that
never ceases to please. Just like this nation, this cuisine embraces all other
cuisines and also showcases local produce at its utmost best. This is where
Australian owned culinary empire known as Jones The Grocer excels.

What started as a premium gourmet food
retail has now expanded to a one-stop cafe/brasserie/patisserie and gourmet
food retail establishment. Jones The Grocer has opened restaurants globally,
which includes Dubai, Singapore, Qatar, Auckland, Victoria and a few in New South
Wales. The Sydney flagship was the latest establishment to open right in heart
of the CBD inside Westfield Sydney. It took over the old Quarter Twenty One's
spot on Level 5. As you enter the premises, one is greeted with the enticing
sight of their gourmet grocery area. The open kitchen next to the warm and
elegant dining area is sure to whet a diner's visual appetite.

Blood orange and cardamom cordial

Lime and kaffir leaves cordial

The blood orange and cardamom cordial
($5) was pre-made by Jones The Grocer (and the bottle can be purchased in the
premises). It was very refreshing and the cardamom flavour lifts the natural
sweetness of the blood orange. The Lime and kaffir cordial ($5) is also a
pre-made drink by Jones The Grocer. The lime taste is very evident and
the hint of kaffir leaves carries the lime flavour around your palate allowing
it to linger.

The first entreé was a soft fresh herb
risotto with asparagus, taleggio and black truffle oil ($16) was a very
aromatic and tasty dish. The creaminess of the risotto was complimented by the
herbs and asparagus. While the fruity tang of the taleggio cheese and full body
flavour of the black truffle oil gave the dish a pleasing luxe finish.

The other entree was barbecued
free-range quail with spinach, apple salad and bois boudran sauce ($21) was all
about delicate flavours and texture. The quail was nicely cooked and the bois
bourdan sauce wonderfully brought the whole dish together.

One of the mains that we had was a
free-range slow roasted pork cutlet with carrot puree, poached prune and
cabbage pangrattato salad ($32). The juicy pork went very well with the creamy
carrot puree. The sweetness from the puree and poached prune was the perfect
combination with pork. The fat was a little bit on the rubbery side but the
perfectly cooked meat made up for it. As the pork was grilled, it was very
understandable that a crispy crackling would be difficult to achieve.

The star of the night was their
slow-cooked beef short rib with roast eye fillet, mushrooms and red wine sauce
($35). The twice-cooked beef short rib was awesome in so many levels. It was
very tender, extra juicy and the caramelised surface of the meat was so
delicious. The roast eye fillet was perfectly cooked medium rare and the red
wine sauce gave the dish an exquisite finish.

Young coconut rice pudding with mango and candied almonds

The first dessert was a young coconut
rice pudding with mango and candied almonds ($12). The rice pudding itself had
that nice vanilla flavour that I loved so much. The young coconut, mango and
candied almond gave the dish pleasing textures and subtle flavours. Inspite of
all the other present components, the rice pudding remained the centerpiece of
the dish.

Their warm sticky date pudding, with
salted caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream ($12) was an outstanding dessert! All three components formed one of the most luscious things to hit my
palate. This is one dish that every Jones The Grocer patron should not miss!

Lemon cheesecake

The slice of lemon cheesecake ($6) had a
sweet and subtle sour taste with a texture that's velvety. The citrus hint in
this cake took this cheesecake to another level.

Nutmeg custard tart

Their pastry chef's exceptional skills
were very evident in their nutmeg custard tart ($4.50). The sweet short crust
was perfect and the nutmeg made the custard filling a treat to remember.

Jones the grocer is truly a food lover's
paradise. You get value for money in terms of the servings size of their
dishes, the quality ingredients used and the passion that goes into creating
them. Their service is superb and unpretentious. You can also shop for gourmet produce
like wine, cheese and cured meat in the premises. They also have a patisserie
and bakery for your pastry, cake and bread needs. I would like to thank their
restaurant manager Mace for making our dinner an enjoyable experience.

Ramen
Raff dined as a guest of Jones The Grocer. Many thanks to Cav Con for the invitation.

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This is a personal food blog. All reviews and recommendation are of my personal preference/opinion, follow at your own risk. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only.Taste is subjective and I will not be liable for any food experience gone wrong. ramenraff.blogspot.com makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.